eli5: How do trees get bigger? What’s physically happening to them?

Question

eli5: How do trees get bigger? What’s physically happening to them?

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Answer 1

Trees pull carbon dioxide from the atmosphere via leaves and water from its roots. Using the energy from sun light (in a process called photosynthesis) it converts these into sugars (and oxygen as a by product). This represents a storage of energy. This is stored and used for energy, then there is still carbon left over – this forms most of the mass of the tree. Trees are mostly carbon (as are all organic life).